A Place to Belong
by karen1
Summary: Chocolat fic. Roux's POV during the fire. please rxr!


Disclaimer: I don't own the movie Chocolat, or the characters Roux (Johnny Depp), Vianne (Juliette Binoche), or Anouk (Victoire Thivisol). Enjoy the story!

A Place To Belong

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Screams. Cries of fear. Help. Help us! Bright, hot. Fire. Fire everywhere. Help! 

Roux awoke abruptly, wide eyed. What the? The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up and he had a bad feeling building up in his stomach. Roux rarely got nightmares, but when he did, they unnerved him like nothing else. Wiping his hand over his face, he sighed and tried to cast the dream from his mind. "Mmm…" Roux turned his head to the source of the noise and smiled, grateful to think of more pleasant things. Vianne had her arms wrapped around his torso, dreaming away, with a small smile upon her face.

Roux's smile faded and became somewhat sad. He sighed again and thought about what had happened. _She doesn't deserve this. She needs someone that will stay with her. "Don't you ever feel like belonging somewhere?" _Vianne's question rolled over in Roux's mind. He didn't know what to do, and it was an unfamiliar feeling.

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But what if you stay and she leaves you? A little voice in his head told him.

Roux shook his head and willed the thoughts away. He just wanted to enjoy the time that he had with Vianne in peace. Trying to quiet his racing mind, he settled back down and forced himself to sleep, but noises off in the distance kept him awake. He strained to hear what was going on but couldn't make anything out. With his brow furrowed together in confusion, he slowly got up and went to see what was going on. Vianne stirred and started to wake up. "What's going on?" she whispers. At her question, Roux opens a flap to the canopy and the smell of burning wood fills his senses and he can see the bright glow of a fire nearby. 

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Oh no. "Vianne!" Vianne comes out of the boat at his urgent cry to see what is wrong. "Vianne, come on!" Her eyes widen as she sees the fire, and begins to run toward the source of the blaze. 

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Faster. Got to get there faster! Faster! Roux cans here the screams of children and women get louder as he nears the fire and commands his legs to move him faster. He looks through the trees while he running and he can see one of the boats totally engulfed in flames. When they finally reach the camp he is shocked at all he sees. Total chaos. People screaming and running around, and the fire destroying half of another one of the boats.

Oh God…For a spilt second he falters, but continues on his way. He runs down the dock, watching his friends, his comrades, trying desperately to put out the fire. _How did this happen?_ "Anouk?" He can faintly here Vianne call for her daughter. _Anouk! Where is she? _He looks around and takes everything in. The fires, the screams, the ashes floating through the air like snow. He can't see her anywhere. "Anouk?!" Vianne screams again. _Where _is _she?!_ Roux looks around once more."No!!" suddenly, he feels someone run past him and jump in the water. 

Vianne. 

The boat, the fire. _Anouk!_

"Jesus" he breathes.

He jumps in after her, without a second thought about his own safety. All he knows, all he _feels_,is that he must get to Vianne before she gets hurt. He starts swimming after her with such furor that it surprised him, but he didn't dwell on it for long. "Vianne! Come back!" He steals a glance at the burning boat and continues to swim, pushing himself harder. _Oh God…Anouk… _"Come back Vianne!" He can hear her cries for child and she begins to slow slightly, her energy leaving her quickly. "Anouk!" she screams over and over. After what seems like years, he finally reaches her and starts to pull her back to shore. "Vianne! No! Stop it!" "No!" she resists him, grasping at the water, trying to get to the burning boat- trying to get to her daughter. "Come back!" he pulls her toward him harder, nearly making them both drown. Their screams are cut off when the boat explodes, sending fiery debris everywhere.

Roux squeezes his eyes shut and tries to shield Vianne from the blast. _Oh God, Anouk! _When the shock wears off, Vianne tries to swim towards the burning ship, but he pulls at her again, guiding her towards the shore. He can not think about Anouk right now, his main concern is getting Vianne back where it's safe. He drags her along the water, and it breaks his heart to hear her cry for her only child, her beloved little girl. She has stopped struggling against his hold, but he knows that he can not let go of her just yet. 

When they finally reach the shore, they collapse and catch their breath. Vianne continues to sob while Roux puts his head on her shoulder. She screams something unintelligible and tries to go back towards the water, but Roux will not let her. "No! It's too late!" His voice is sad, defeated. He wraps his arm around her and tries to comfort her. _If only we had stayed with the boat, if only-_

"Mama!"

Vianne and Roux look up at the same time towards the voice. Roux's breath catches in his throat. _Please…please let it be her. _At last they see her.

Anouk.

She was alive.

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Oh thank God. He breathes a sigh of relief as he watches Vianne reach out and grab Anouk, smothering her with kisses and tears of happiness. And while watching them, he is suddenly hit by the feeling that he wants to be a part of it, he wants to be a part of what they have. _A family._ But looking around the camp slowly, he realizes that he can not have what he wants. His eyes become sad at the thought of leaving Vianne and Anouk, especially after this entire ordeal, but he knows that everyone will be packing up what's left and leaving as soon as possible, and he knows that they will need him. He has an obligation to his friends, to the people he has lived with. _Why now? Why did this have to happen now? _

He is jarred from his thoughts as he feels Anouk's arms encircle him. He hugs her back, immensely happy that she is alive and well. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asks her. She just nods and smiles, saying that Pontuf was with her the entire time. He looks over Anouk's shoulder and catches Vianne's eye and they give each other a small smile, but he breaks it off by looking away, thinking about how he is going to tell her that he's leaving. 

He actually found a place to belong, and he wasn't even looking for it.

please give comments! 


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